You Raise Me Up
by PureSourwolfHale
Summary: After defeating the Nogitsune, Beacon Hills seems to be in a really good place, and Derek is ready to just take things easy. But little did he know that his world would be turned upside down when he rescues an omega from hunters. Who would've thought that Derek would actually fall in love with a girl so sweet and innocent- everything he was not? *AFTER SEASON 3B* (DerekxOC)
1. Prologue

**Hello, everyone! Before you start reading, if you read my other two stories Awake and Alive and Scars, this is NOT the DerekxOC that I have been talking about and this does NOT coincide with those stories. This DerekxOC takes place after season 3B of the show but does not follow the plot from there on out. Allison is still dead, the twins are still gone, but Isaac is still in Beacon Hills and there is no Braeden. But I hope you guys enjoy this anyway! **

**And I hope that this makes up for me not updating my other stories as often as I would like. But I really am trying! So... here we go!**

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*Sixteen Years Ago*

Giggles erupted from the little girl's throat as she ran around the woods. A robin was fluttering around in the air just a few inches above her head. It was flying in circles and it was very entertaining for the girl to watch. She lifted her hand up in the air and crooked her index finger for the robin to land on. Her innocent brown eyes twinkled as the bird flew down onto her finger.

"Hi, birdie," the girl cooed as she brought the bird down to her eye level.

The bird chirped, making the girl giggle once more. She admired it for a bit longer before it decided it was time to go. When it flew away, the girl waved goodbye and hoped that it would travel safely to wherever its destination was. She sat down on the dirt cover ground Indian-style and looked up at the stars above her.

Now the girl was all alone. It was nighttime and the full moon lit up the sky. The dark atmosphere should've given off an eerie vibe with the occasional rustling of bushes or owls hooting. But she wasn't scared. For a five year old, she knew these parts of the woods like the back of her hand. Better than any other kids her age. Then again, she wasn't like those kids. She did most of her training out here so she learned to get familiar with her surroundings. Instead of being frightened, she actually found the woods to be comforting. Safe. Like it was her home. Which in a way, it was.

"Faline!"

Said girl's ears perked up at the soothing voice that called her name. With a smile on her face, she got up and ran towards the direction the voice came from. Her chocolate curls bounced as she sprinted.

"Mama!" Faline squealed as her mother came into view.

Connie beamed when she saw her daughter running towards her. She crouched down with open arms. Faline jumped into her mother's arms and wrapped her own around Connie's neck. The older woman hugged her daughter and stood up.

She kept her arms around Faline as she looked down at her. It always left Connie in awe how many of her features were passed down to Faline. Long dark brown- almost black- hair, brown eyes, and olive toned skin. She was the most beautiful little girl Connie had ever seen. She was so honored to be called her mother.

"What were you doing, sweetheart?" Connie asked.

"Just playing with the animals," Faline answered with a smile. A sudden look of realization was etched on her face and she reached into her coat pocket. She pulled out a sunflower- Connie's favorite- and presented it to her mother. "I picked this out for you, Mama."

"Why, it's beautiful," Connie smiled as she accepted the sunflower. She raised the flower to her nose and got a whiff of the floral scent. "Thank you, mija."

She kissed her daughter's cheek, making the little girl beam in happiness. Still holding onto Faline, Connie began to walk along the woods. They enjoyed the peacefulness of the night together. And every once in a while, Faline would point out different animals, overly fascinated like the five year old she was. It was silly, but Connie adored that about her daughter. Faline was so sweet and innocent.

It made Connie's heart break that her little girl had to be exposed to the evil of the world at such a young age. But Faline needed to learn how to survive. The earlier she learned, the earlier she will be prepared and ready to fight for herself. It was a lot to put on a girl her age, but Connie would rather have Faline fighting at five years old than dead. Just like the rest of her family.

The mother/daughter duo reached a cliff, which gave them the most beautiful view of the full moon. Connie didn't have to worry about keeping Faline locked up in her room anymore since she had finally learned how to control her shift a month ago. Restraining a toddler was a huge challenge for Connie due to the girl's restlessness. But with patience and determination, she was able to achieve the impossible.

"Mama, look!" Faline pointed up at the moon.

"It's lovely, isn't it?" Connie admired longingly. Faline nodded her head and cuddled closer to her mother. "Do you want to learn how to howl?"

The look on Faline's face immediately filled up with excitement. "Really?!"

Connie nodded her head. "Yes. Here, watch me."

She closed her eyes and slightly tilted her head back. A long howl left her mouth like a song. The melody filled the empty woods with needed sound. Faline watched her mother in amazement like she had never heard it before, although this would've been the hundredth times she's heard Connie howl. When Connie finished, she waited until they heard a distant response. Somewhere out and about, another wolf howled back.

"Wow!"

"You ready to try?" Faline nodded her head enthusiastically. "Alright. The first thing you want to do is close your eyes." The toddler squeezed her eyes shut. "You need to channel your inner wolf. Bring it to life. Dig deep into your soul and just let it come to you."

Faline remained silent for a few more moments as she let Connie's words sink in. when she felt that she was ready, she tilted her head back and let out a howl of her own. It was much more immature than her mother's, but powerful in its own way. After Faline howled, she and Connie waited for a response. Faline was a little discouraged when she heard nothing right away.

But then all of a sudden, another howl filled both Connie and Faline's ears. It had worked. Faline's howl had actually worked. The biggest smile stretched across the little girl's face.

"I did it, Mama! I actually did it!"

"I knew you could, sweetheart!" Connie praised, "For your first time, that was really good. You're a natural."

Faline looked up at her mother with hopeful eyes. "Howl with me?"

Connie nodded her head. "Of course, mija."

Together, the mother/daughter duo howled at the full moon in harmony.

Neither one of them could be any happier. Ever since their pack had died off in Mexico months after Faline had been born, it had always been just her and Connie. It had been hard for Connie to raise Faline by herself without a home or any help. Her husband died a month after she had found out that she was pregnant so her parents helped with Faline as much as they could before they passed. Luckily, they had saved a bunch of money for Connie to raise Faline so they packed their bags and moved to one of the very few cities in Mexico that wasn't poisoned with wolfsbane.

At times, Connie couldn't help but feel guilty that Faline didn't really get to have a normal childhood. She was put in school, but she wasn't able to play around with the other kids at recess or after school. Connie had to tell Faline's teacher and other parents that it was due to allergies when in reality, it was because she was afraid that Faline wouldn't be able to control her shift. So while the other kids her age played together after school, the little wolf was training. Faline always said that she didn't mind, as long as she got to spend time with her mother.

And Connie didn't mind either. After all, she was her best friend. She was her pride and joy, the most important person in her life. And she wouldn't want to live another day without her.

The two were laughing after howling when something snapped. Their hypersensitive ears caught onto it quickly. Not knowing what to do, Faline looked up at her mother. Connie sniffed the air and her eyes turned red. She could pinpoint that scent anytime, anywhere.

"Hunters," she growled out, baring her fangs. Her grip on Faline tightened, but not hard enough to crush her. "We've got to get out of here."

Connie turned around to only have a gun pointed at her head. Holding the gun was a man Connie had unfortunately encountered one too many times in her life. She hadn't seen him ever since Faline was born, but recognized the scarred up face way too well.

"Alejandro."

Said man chuckled. "Well, if it isn't my favorite bitch. You're looking good, Consuela." He looked down at Faline and grinned like the Devil himself. "And what do we have here? Looks like someone got a little busy and got herself a pup. A cute one, I might add."

"What do you want, Alejandro? And whatever it is, leave my daughter out of it," Connie seethed, clutching onto Faline, who was starting to whimper."

The hunter shrugged. "I just wanna chat. You know, catch up a bit. But then again, it's been far too long since we've last seen each other. And you know me well enough to know-" he cocked his gun, "I'd rather just get down to business."

Thinking fast on her feet, Connie swiped her leg at the back of Alejandro's knees. As he went down, he fired his gun at the air and the loud sound made Faline start to cry. Connie used this opportunity to escape.

Knowing Alejandro, he wasn't out in the woods alone. He would have hunters surrounding the entire perimeter. Connie sped through the woods, being careful to not drop her daughter. As she ran, bullets were being shot at them. She buried Faline's head in her chest to block the girl from the bullets. Connie was hit in her thigh and bicep. But as painful as it was, she just had to push through it and keep running. At this point, she didn't care if she got hurt. She just had to keep Faline safe.

Connie ran for what seemed like ten minutes with guns shooting at her and Faline until she spotted a den. Figuring that her daughter would be safe there, Connie sprinted towards it and set Faline down.

"Mama, what's going on?" Faline whimpered, "I'm scared!"

"Shh, shh…" Connie tried to hush her daughter.

She looked around to see if any hunters were visible. So far so good, but she knew that they would eventually find them. She looked back at her crying daughter. She bent down so she was at Faline's level and cradled her face in her hands.

"Listen to me, mija. Remember those bad men with the guns I warned you about?" Faline nodded her head. "Well, those men are hunters, and they will stop at nothing to catch us and kill us. That's why you are staying in here while I fight them off so no one will see you. I will howl. When I do, I want you to shift and run as fast as you can. Go wherever you feel like you need to. Just as long as no one catches you and you stay safe. Do you understand?"

"Are you coming back?"

Tears rolled down Faline's cheeks and it broke Connie's heart. She didn't have the heart to tell her little girl the truth. They only way to save Faline was to sacrifice herself. It killed her to leave her daughter by herself. But if this meant that she will make it out of there alive, then so be it.

Reaching behind her neck, Connie pulled her dream catcher necklace over her head. She then placed it on Faline. It was one of Connie's most valuable possessions and if she wasn't going to live through this, she wanted Faline to carry it on with her.

"You're father gave this to me the day I told him I was expecting you," Connie said, "He told me it was passed down in his family for many generations. And now, I want you to have it. With this, you can chase your dream, and no one will stop you. It's all up to you now. I love you, mija."

She placed one last kiss on Faline's forehead. Then she stood up straight and began to shift. Bones cracked as Connie rolled her neck and shoulders. Her clothes then ripped off her body as she landed on all fours. In just a few short seconds, Connie had transformed into a dark grey wolf, something that Faline had seen many of times. She growled before running out of the den.

Faline stayed hidden like her mother instructed and waited for her signal. The only sounds she could hear were Connie's growls and barks. At every sound, she would flinch. As much as she wanted to run out and help her mother, she couldn't. She had to obey her orders. Faline just squeezed her eyes shut and rubbed the dream catcher around her neck with her thumb.

Connie then let out a loud howl, just like she promised.

Like her mother, Faline started shifting into a wolf. It hurt a little since she doesn't shift as much as Connie, but it became easier the more she did it. Instead of becoming a big dark grey wolf, she was now a dark brown cub since she was still so young. The dream catcher was still around her neck and she placed it in between her teeth so it wouldn't drag along the dirt.

Then she ran for her life.

It was the fastest she had ever gone. With all of the training her mother put her through, her stamina had strengthened and she didn't get as tired. Plus all of the adrenaline she had in her body was enough to push her through.

All of a sudden, a gunshot rang in the air, followed by a pained whine.

That made Faline stop in her tracks. It was her mother. She had just been shot by the hunters. Immediately, the cub thought the worst... her mother was dead.

Faline did what she felt was the most appropriate at a time like this- she tilted her head back and howled at the moon in mourning.

Big mistake.

"Hey, I found the pup!" one of the hunters announced.

Faline immediately sprang into action and continued to sprint as the hunters chased her. They shot at her, but with her speed, she was able to dodge every bullet. She didn't even know what trail she was going through anymore. Where she was going wasn't the issue at the moment. It was finding a way to get out of there alive.

After running for what felt like hours, Faline was sure that she had outran the hunters. But to be safe, she ran inside the next den that came into view. She stayed as far inside as she could so that no one would find her. It was very dark and quiet, so Faline was sure to stay as still as possible so she wouldn't make a sound and blow her cover.

As if the universe had a sadistic way of working that night, it began to rain. Faline always hated the rain. But the difference about tonight was that her mother wasn't there to comfort her and sing her a lullaby to help the child go to sleep. The air grew cold and Faline's fur was barely keeping her warm. She whimpered as the sound of thunder rolled around. Coming to conclusion that she had no choice but to sleep in the den that night, Faline laid down and curled herself against the stone wall. But because of the thunder and rain, she couldn't sleep. She just cried softly over the loss of her mother.

For the very first time in her life, the poor thing was all alone. And she didn't know where to go from here.

She was lost.

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**So there you have it, folks! PLEASE review and let me know what you think! Also, send in some questions you have about this story and even the stories that will be coinciding with this like There For You (StilesxOC) and Animals (IsaacxOC). I'm already finished with the next chapter so if I get TEN REVIEWS, I will update much faster. I don't know how often I'll be updating this story since Awake and Alive, Scars, and No One Else are my main focuses, but I really like the ideas I have for this new saga so I'm gonna find a way to make it work. I wasn't actually gonna start this until I was way far along with my other stories, but this has been stuck in my head for a long time and I just had to write it down!  
**

**And if you aren't one of my regular readers, PLEASE check out Awake and Alive and Scars and leave me some reviews! I'd really appreciate it!  
**

**I hope to update soon! xoxo, Maddie :)**


	2. Chapter 1

**Hello again! So I didn't get the amount of reviews I wanted, but that's okay. This is a much more exciting chapter, and Derek finally makes his big appearance! And one thing I forgot to mention was that Derek is still an alpha! Enjoy! :)**

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*Present*

Derek Hale dropped down to the floor from his pull-up bar. He landed in a crouching position with one hand on the floor. Slowly, he straightened his spine and raised his head. His usual green eyes were replaced with blood-red orbs, showing off his alpha status.

"Always the one who has to be so dramatic, aren't you?"

With a roll of his eyes, Derek stood up and turned around to face the speaker. Leaning against the doorway was Derek's still somewhat psychotic uncle, Peter. The smirk on his face irritated the alpha and he shoved down the urge to smack it off. Fortunately with many years of training, Derek was able to control his emotions.

"What do you want, Peter?" Derek snarled.

Peter scratched the side of his nose. "Well, for starters, I'd appreciate it if you put on a shirt. I know you take pride in your body, but come on. Show some class for your guests."

Derek glared at his uncle for a bit before walking over to the couch on the other side of the room. He grabbed the black shirt draped over the couch and pulled it over his head. Muscles rippled underneath the sheer material as Derek stretched out his arms.

"There. Now again, what do you want?"

"No need to be so snappy, Derek," Peter said, striding over to his nephew, "I just came to chat and see how everything's going."

"I'm sure you did," Derek grumbled.

"What? I can't just check up on my nephew to make sure he's doing fine?"

The alpha turned around to face Peter with a raised eyebrow. "Not unless you want something from me or want to just interrogate me. I'm not stupid."

Peter raised his hands in surrender. "You got me. I'm more interested in your pack. Or more lack of."

"You mean Isaac?"

"Would you really consider Isaac one of yours anymore?" Peter scoffed, "I think it's safe to say that he's with Scott now. No offense, but you haven't proven yourself to be a great leader. You know, breaking your pack's bones, throwing things at them, kicking them out, sleeping with the Darach, killing Boyd-"

"You know, for someone who murdered his niece for the alpha title and turned a teenager against his will," Derek interrupted, "you have no right to criticize me and the way I run things. So if there's a little point to your speech, get to it."

"All I'm saying is that you shouldn't be counting on just one beta when it doesn't even look like he's on your side anymore. It's time to look for some new recruits. And you need to start looking fast. You never know what's coming."

Derek shrugged on his leather jacket. "Well we got rid of the Nogitsune and Oni. It's been over two months now and there's no sign of any threats. We should be fine."

"I'd expect you to be more on top of your game, Derek," Peter said as he stepped closer to his nephew, "Things can just pop up when you least expect them. You shouldn't be sitting around your loft unprepared for anything that comes your way."

Peter had a point. It wasn't something Derek would admit out loud, but his uncle was right. This was Beacon Hills. Weird shit is always thrown at them unexpectedly. And Derek would be the one to train his pack to the point of blood, sweat, and tears and take whatever precautions necessary. That meant stalking around the town to inspect anything out of the ordinary.

But honestly, Derek was exhausted. The problems in Beacon Hills had been nonstop for a year now. This was actually the longest they have gone without anyone being attacked. Like Derek had mentioned, there have been no threats from anyone lately and it truly seemed that it was going to stay that way for a while. Derek just wanted to take the time he had been blessed with and not stress. There was so much tension in his mind and body that had been building up for the past year that he really needed to get rid of. And with Erica and Boyd dead, Cora in South America, and Isaac most likely joining forces with Scott, he had no one else. Well, besides Peter, but no one even knows what the hell goes on in his mind. Even though he may be blood, Derek would never forgive him for killing his sister Laura and would never accept him as his pack. He did need to start searching for new people to join him, but Derek wasn't in a rush for anything.

As Derek was about to speak, a distant howl cut through the air. Both Hale men were taken aback by the sound. They turned to the window where they could see the pouring rain and even a bit of the woods.

"You heard that too, right?" Peter asked.

"Yeah," Derek nodded his head.

"What was it?"

The alpha shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. It didn't sound like either Scott or Isaac. It sounded more… feminine."

One of Peter's eyebrows quirked up. "Ah, an omega." He turned to his nephew. "So much for no threats, huh?"

"Shut up," Derek told him, "I'm going out there to see who it is. Stay here in case anyone comes."

Peter gave him a two-finger salute. "Sure thing, captain." Derek rolled his eyes before leaving the loft.

The rain was coming down hard on Derek. His black shirt and jeans were clinging onto his body. His black hair was now matted down and was sticking to his forehead. Derek just ignored it as he ran out into the woods to find who was howling. He stopped by a tree and waited to hear whoever was out there would howl again so he could get a better sense of where they were.

Then he heard another how, which sounded like whoever it was, was frightened. This time it sounded a lot closer and it was much easier to detect where it came from. Derek took off again. It only took him a couple of minutes to find them and he skidded to a halt when he did.

Hiding behind a tree was a dark brown wolf. Around its neck was a necklace with a dream catcher hanging from it. Its fur was sopping wet from the rain, which caused the wolf to shiver. Or it could've been because it was scared of something. Derek took one step closer and the wolf retreated, whimpering as it did so.

Derek immediately grew a weak spot for the creature, which was completely out of character for him. Normally he found anything and anyone that he wasn't familiar with a threat, but it looked harmless. If anything, the wolf most likely thought that Derek was the dangerous one.

"Hey," the alpha said softly, going down on one knee, "What are you doing out in the rain?" He held his hand out, making the wolf flinch again. It made Derek's heart clench when it backed away from him. "It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you. You can trust me."

The wolf stared at Derek's hand for a few moments before looking back up at his face. Derek's eyes weren't as cold and emotionless as usual. Instead they showed nothing but compassion and sorrow. After a while, it hesitantly walked from behind the tree and over to Derek. It nuzzled its head into his hand and he stroked the soaked fur. He heard it whine, but it sounded… happy. Like Derek's touch was the solution to its problems.

"You're an affectionate thing, aren't you?" Derek chuckled as the wolf rubbed its face against his chest, "I wonder where you came from…"

"Well, isn't this sweet."

Derek turned around and growled when he saw three hunters standing above them. Guns were in their hands and menacing grins crept up on their faces. The wolf hid behind Derek and he felt it shaking.

"Leave now and we won't have any issues," Derek warned.

"How nice of you," the hunter in the middle said sarcastically, "but honestly, where's the fun in that?"

The hunter on his let nodded his head towards the brown wolf. "Also your friend over here would make a beautiful throw rug on my floor."

Once again, Derek growled at the threat towards the wolf. "Over my dead body."

Aiming his gun at the two on the ground, the last hunter flashed his yellow teeth with a grin. "That can easily be arranged."

He fired the gun at them, but Derek was quick to react and pounced on the wolf. They rolled out of the way and the bullet barely missed them. Derek got up and swiped his claws at the hunter's chest. At this point, Derek had fully shifted into his red eyes, elongated ears, and sharp fangs. The hunter groaned in pain and the alpha took this opportunity to grab him by the shirt and throw him against a tree. His back hit the rough exterior and he landed in the dirt with a thud.

When Derek wasn't looking, the taller hunter whacked him in the head with the butt of his gun. It caused Derek to be slightly dizzy and the hunter kicked his back. The werewolf fell on his back, wincing in pain as he landed on a sharp rock. A heavy boot pressed against his neck which cut off his air supply. The hunter pointed his gun at Derek and was about to shoot until the brown wolf jumped on him and tackled him to the ground. It was obvious that the wolf had never fought anyone before because as soon as it pounced on its opponent, it retracted its claws and refused to hurt him, even though he was the enemy. He took advantage of this and shoved the wolf off of him. He then aimed his gun and fired. The wolf was shot in the leg and it yelped out in pain as it collapsed on the ground. Derek immediately smelled blood and he turned to his new companion who was now whimpering and writhing on the ground.

Now the alpha was pissed. Derek grabbed the hunter that had shot the wolf and head-butted him harshly, knocking him out cold. He tossed him to the side like a rag doll. There was now only one hunter left standing. He punched Derek in the jaw, causing him to stagger back a bit, but it didn't throw him off so much. When the hunter swung his fist again, Derek ducked down and impaled his claws in the guy's stomach. It wasn't deep enough to kill him, but it was enough to distract him. Derek then grabbed the back of his head and slammed it against the tree. The hunter was now unconscious and he slumped down next to the others.

Derek made sure that the hunters weren't going to be waking up anytime soon before going back to check on the wolf. But when he turned around, he was surprised to find a woman in place of the wolf. A beautiful woman, in fact. Her long dark hair was limp and soaked and her bronze nude body was also sleek with water from the rain that Derek had completely forgotten was still occurring. The dream catcher necklace was still intact around her neck. If he had to guess, Derek would say that she was probably the same age as him, if not younger. She had her back pressed against the same tree she was hiding behind earlier as she clutched onto her bleeding thigh. When she opened her eyes, Derek noticed that they were red from crying so hard. He quickly made his way over to her and kneeled in front of her. The poor girl was shivering from the cold and her lips were turning blue so Derek pulled off his jacket and carefully helped her put it on so she wasn't completely naked.

"Here," he said to her, "I know this won't help much, but it's better than nothing. I don't want you freezing to death." The girl nodded her head but gritted her teeth as pain shot up her leg. She looked up at Derek like a lost puppy.

"What's happening to me?" she cried, "Why am I not healing?"

The alpha looked down at her leg and saw black blood oozing out of her wound. Black veins crept up her thigh, which was a sight Derek was all too familiar with. He cursed underneath his breath.

"You were shot by a bullet laced with wolfsbane," he told her, "If we don't get it out and do something about it as soon as possible, you'll be dead in forty-eight hours."

"What?!" She began to hyperventilate and shake her head from side to side. "No, no! I don't wanna die. I can't die. I don't-"

Derek hushed her and placed a hand on her cheek. "I'm not gonna let you die, I promise. Just take deep breaths and calm down. Can you stand?"

"Uh, I can try…" She placed one hand on the tree and slowly slid herself up. When she tried to push away, the pain in her leg grew worse. "Ah!"

Before she could fall, Derek caught her by the waist. He then instructed her to wrap her arms around his neck. She did as she was told and he picked her up so he was now carrying her bridal-style.

"Whatever you do, don't let go," Derek said, looking down at the girl in his arms, "Okay?"

Hesitantly, she nodded her head. "I trust you."

That was all he needed to hear for him to start sprinting back to his loft. Luckily it was very late at night so no one was outside. Derek didn't have to worry about anyone seeing him with a naked girl in his arms. But even when he entered the building, she was still shaking and her teeth were chattering. The alpha had only his body heat to rely on to keep this girl warm, even though he was still wet from the rain himself.

When he reached the door to his loft, he kicked it a few times since his hands were unoccupied at the moment. "Peter!"

Said man slid the door open and his eyes widened at the practically nude girl in his nephew's arms. Derek pushed past him and ran over to the table by the large window. He set the girl down on the table and pushed her hair back.

"What the hell-"

"Grab the bag of the wolfsbane bullets and bring them to me _now_," Derek ordered, "She's been shot and the poison's traveling through her body a lot faster than it's supposed to. Hurry!"

Peter ran to the closet and searched through it frantically. Derek grabbed the girl's hands to take her pain away. Black lines traveled up his arm, making him slightly cringe when her pain traveled to his body. When she realized what he was doing, she tried to pull her hands away and he just gripped them tighter.

"What the fuck is taking so long?" Derek yelled at his uncle.

"All of these lights aren't working," Peter said, "They're all out of fire."

"There should be one in the junk drawer in the kitchen. Go look."

As Peter did so, the girl looked at Derek with wide eyes. Her brown orbs reminded the alpha of a puppy, which was a bit funny since she was a creature of the night.

"What are you gonna do to me?" she whimpered.

"Right now I need to get this bullet out." He let go of one of her hands and let his claws out. "You might want to keep holding onto my hand."

Then his index finger and thumb dug into her wound. She cried out as his fingers moved around and she squeezed onto Derek's hand as tightly as she could. The girl had quite a grip, but it was nothing Derek couldn't handle. He finally found the bullet and pulled it out.

Right as he tossed it on the table, Peter ran in with a lighter and a duffel bag. Derek unzipped the bag and pulled out one of the wolfsbane bullets Chris Argent had left him just in case a situation like this ever happened. After biting the cap of the bullet off, Derek dumped out the gunpowder onto the table. He then lit it on fire and waited until smoke rose from the powder before scooping it up.

"This is going to hurt," Derek told the girl sympathetically, "I'm so sorry."

Like ripping off a Band-Aid, he pressed the contents of the bullet into her wound. Her brown eyes switched to a golden color as she screamed in agony. Her body twitched as if she was being possessed. Peter had to physically hold Derek back so he wouldn't rush to her rescue, no matter how hard he fought. The bullet had to work its magic for the girl to heal despite the great pain it caused. It was just unbearable for Derek to even watch.

But luckily for him, it didn't last long. After a minute or so, the wound finally closed up and she stopped screaming. Her breath was coming out in short pants as she tried to calm herself down. Derek pulled out of Peter's grip and helped the girl sit up on the edge of the table.

"How are you feeling?" he asked her.

"What just…" she trailed off, looking back and forth from her now healed thigh to the empty bullet, "How did you know that would work?"

"Last year, the same thing happened to me," Derek explained, "and I remember my sister Laura being in the same situation one time. I watched my mother perform this procedure on her. She explained how it all worked step by step and it just stuck with me."

"Wow…" she breathed out. She looked up at Derek and gave him a small smile. "That was pretty amazing. Thank you."

Derek nodded his head curtly. Yes, she made his heart soften more than she should, but he was still an alpha. He had to keep up the tough exterior that he worked so hard to build. Also, Peter was still there and the last thing he needed was for the annoying man to give him more shit for his leadership role.

Speaking of his uncle, he cleared his throat to break Derek and the girl from their staring contest.

"Well now that everything seems to be taken care of," Peter said, "I think it's time for me to head on out. I'll see you tomorrow, Derek." With that, he left the loft with a slam of the door.

The girl pointed to the door. "Who was that man?"

"Unfortunately, my uncle, Peter," Derek answered, glaring at the door.

"Ah," she nodded her head, "And your name is… Derek?"

He nodded his own head. "That's right. What about you? What's your name?"

She tucked a strand of her dark hair behind her ear as she gazed into Derek's eyes. It caught her off guard a little. She couldn't tell what color his eyes were at all. They were too light to be hazel but she wasn't sure that they were green either. Still, they were gorgeous.

"I'm Faline. My name is Faline."

That was a name Derek had never heard before. But it was very beautiful, especially for a girl as beautiful as her. And for once, Derek wasn't afraid to admit that.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Faline." He stuck his hand out to her.

"And it's nice to meet you too, Derek," she giggled and shook his hand, which was much larger and warmer compared to hers. Derek cringed when he felt how cold her hand was.

"Shit, you must be freezing," he said, "Let me go get you something to wear."

Faline grabbed his hand before he could walk away, and Derek didn't miss that spark from when she touched him. "Um, actually, do you mind if I wash up? It's just that I've been out for so long that I haven't had a chance to properly clean myself."

"Yeah, sure," Derek said, "Come with me and I'll show you where the bathroom is."

The alpha helped Faline down from the table since she was still a bit shaky before leading her to the bathroom. He pulled out a black towel from the cupboard underneath the sink and placed it on top. Derek then showed Faline how the shower worked since she was looking at it like it was an alien. The confused look on her face was pretty cute, to be honest.

"I think that's it," Derek said, "And there's stuff in there to wash yourself with. Is there anything else you need?"

"No, I'm sure I have everything," Faline smiled, "Thank you again."

Derek nodded his head. "Of course." Then he left the wolf to do her business and shut the door behind him.

As Faline showered, Derek was grabbing extra blankets from the closet and set them up on the bed. It grew cold in the loft at night so he wanted to make sure his guest would be as warm as possible. Derek then made sure that the windows were closed so there wasn't any breeze. He was sure that he wasn't going to need anything that but he grabbed a pillow and a blanket for himself and threw them on the couch just in case.

He had been setting things up for Faline for about twenty minutes and she had yet to come out of the bathroom. Derek went back up to his room and changed out of his damp clothes to a pair of black sweatpants and a white wife-beater. That was when Derek realized that he never gave Faline anything to change into for when she got out of the shower. He pulled a pair of boxers and a navy blue t-shirt for Faline.

"Hey, Derek, what-"

Said man turned around and Faline accidentally bumped into his hard chest. Derek didn't even hear the shower turn off or the girl exit the bathroom. But she was now standing in front of him with the black towel wrapped around her body.

"Oh! I'm sorry about that," she apologized, blushing a bit.

Derek shook his head as he refrained from staring at the trail of water that dripped in between her cleavage. "It's alright. I, um… I was about to go give these to you right now."

"I was just going to ask for these too," Faline giggled. She looked up at Derek and bit her bottom lip. "Umm…"

His eyes widened at the realization. "Oh! Right. Uh, sorry." He turned around so his back was facing Faline.

She giggled at how bashful Derek was being as she pulled the towel off of herself. After tossing it on the bed, she grabbed the boxers and t-shirt and put them on. The shirt came all the way down to her knees and she had to adjust the boxers so they wouldn't fall down, but Faline found them to be extremely comfortable, especially for going years without having any clothes. Satisfied, she gave Derek the 'okay' to turn back around.

"Let me take that for you," he said, picking up the used towel and tossing it in the hamper.

"This is a very nice home you have," Faline said as she looked around the loft. She sat down on the bed and bounced on it a little. "And your bed is really comfy."

"It's nothing special, really," Derek said, trying to get the image of Faline in bed in a provocative way out of his mind, "But I'm glad you like the bed because this is where you'll be sleeping."

Faline's eyes widened. "But this is your bed. Where will you be sleeping?"

"On the couch," Derek answered, gesturing to the furniture.

The female wolf looked back down at the bed and quickly stood up. "I can't take your bed. I should be the one on the couch."

"No," Derek told her, "You've been through enough tonight and I'm not letting you sleep on some lumpy couch that'll be uncomfortable on your back. Take the bed."

"Are you sure?"

"I insist."

Looking up at the alpha, she saw that his eyebrow was raised and he wasn't going to back down on his word. Faline smiled shyly. "Okay. If you really insist." She slipped under the covers and lied down on her back. A content sigh escaped her mouth as she placed her hands behind her head. "This feels nice."

Derek couldn't help but chuckle. "Comfortable?"

"Very. Boy, it's been forever since I've been in an actual bed."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I've been sleeping in random dens for a while and let me tell you, those rocks are not as comfortable as they look."

"Dens?" Derek was now genuinely concerned. "Faline, did you not have a home?"

The smile on Faline's face faltered as she thought about the past years out on her own. She pushed herself up so her back was against the wall. Patting the spot in front of her, Faline gestured Derek to sit down on the bed. Hesitantly, he sat on the edge and waited for her to share her story.

"Can I tell you something?" she asked Derek. He nodded his head. "This is the first time I've been a human in a long time."

"How long?"

"Ever since I was five."

"And how old are you now?"

Faline pursed her lips as she thought about it. She mumbled to herself and counted with her fingers. "I'm pretty sure I'm twenty-one… Yeah, that sounds about right."

Derek's eyes grew wide. "You've been living as a wolf for sixteen years?"

"Yep," Faline said, "and I haven't shifted once since. I was pretty confused when I turned human when that hunter shot me though."

"Pain makes you human," the alpha told her, "My uncle Peter told me that when I was a teenager and he was teaching me how to control my shift."

"Your uncle is a smart man."

"I guess he is… in his own fucked up way, I suppose," Derek mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. "So, what were you doing out there?"

The girl shrugged her shoulders. "Looking for a place to sleep. But the rain freaked me out and I couldn't find a den so I just hid behind a tree to avoid hunters. I was going to wait until it cleared up before I started looking again. We both know that things didn't turn out as planned though." She chuckled lightly.

But Derek wasn't laughing. There was nothing funny to him about Faline almost getting killed.

"You're an omega," he said. She nodded her head. "You've been alone for all this time, haven't you?"

The smile on her face was now faltered into a full-on frown. "Yeah. Yeah, I have."

"What happened to your pack?"

"Hunters," Faline answered, "They poisoned our house with wolfsbane and everyone got sick and started dying. Then we found out that it was happening to all of the werewolves in Mexico so my mama and I packed up our things and left."

'Like the Black Plague,' Derek thought to himself. He was about to voice that thought out loud but then he remembered that Faline would have no idea what he was talking about.

"Where's you mom?"

"Gone." A tear rolled its way down Faline's cheek but she wiped it away as soon as she felt it. Derek noticed this and placed his hand on her knee.

"I didn't mean to upset you. I shouldn't have been asking so many questions."

Faline shook her head. "Don't worry about it. It was a long time ago. And I expected you to ask me a lot of questions. I am sleeping in your home after all."

"I just wanna make sure you stay safe."

Derek's own response surprised him and he immediately thought that he was being too forward and honest. Way too honest than usual. It caught Faline off guard also but a smile gradually graced her features.

She placed her hand on top of Derek's and squeezed it lightly. "I think I'm in good hands here." Derek smiled back at her. Again, not a usual thing for him to do. And he didn't even remember the last time he genuinely smiled. But it felt good. Faline yawned and covered her mouth. "Excuse me."

"No, it's no problem," Derek said as he stood up, "I should let you get some sleep. You've had a crazy night tonight."

The she-wolf laughed. "Yeah, you're right. I can't thank you enough for helping me with the hunters and the wolfsbane. I don't even know what I would've done without you."

"I was at the right place at the right time," Derek shrugged, not really used to being praised highly.

"I suppose. But I'm still glad you were though."

Then Faline sat up and kissed Derek's cheek. It was so quick that he thought he just imagined it. But he then saw Faline blushing and felt his cheek tingling a bit. She smiled at her savior.

"Goodnight, Derek."

Too stunned to even respond, Derek watched Faline snuggle back underneath the thick blankets. Poor thing was so tired that she was out like a light as soon as her head hit the pillow. One of her curls fell in front of her face and Derek tucked it behind her ear as if it was a normal thing for him to brought him comfort that he was providing Faline the peace and security she needed after running for her life for so long. She was now his responsibility.

He wouldn't let her go back out there. Not as an omega. Faline's chances of getting killed were too high, and Derek would rather die himself than risk her life. He vowed right then from there on out that he would protect her with all his life.

Derek walked over to his makeshift bed on the couch and lied down. But he didn't fall asleep right away. Instead he kept his gaze on the girl on his bed. Even Derek had to admit that it was kind of creepy for him to do, but he didn't want to look away. It was almost as if she would disappear if he fell asleep. Eventually, his eyes grew heavy and then he drifted off into slumber.

* * *

**I hope you guys enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it! If Derek's a little too OOC than you like, I apologize but I really like the sweet side of him and I hope you do too. **

**PLEASE review and let me know what you think! Reviews are my motivation to keep writing so hopefully I receive more reviews (at least ten) than I did on the first chapter. Also, send in some questions about this story or any of my other upcoming stories (summaries are on my profile)! I love to hear what you have to say!**

**And if you haven't, please check out my other two stories 'Awake and Alive' and 'Scars'!**

**I'll be sure to update soon! xoxo, Maddie :)**


	3. Chapter 2

**Hey, guys! I'm back with another chapter! I know that Derek seems OOC in this story, but like I said before, I like seeing a softer side to him. So here's chapter 2 and I hope you enjoy! :)**

* * *

The first thing Derek did when he woke up the next day was check on Faline. She was still sleeping away in his bed with a small smile on her face. It made him wonder what she could possibly be dreaming about. Derek thought about it and he figured that this was probably the most sleep the she-wolf has had in years. That was definitely something worth smiling about.

He also noticed Faline hugging his pillow close to her body. A strange wave of emotion hit Derek hard. Was he actually… _jealous_ of a pillow? His own pillow, to be exact. A low chuckle rumbled in his chest. How juvenile of him. Derek hadn't been jealous for a girl since high school and he's come a long way since then. But then again, Faline wasn't just some girl just some girl to him. She was definitely special, even though Derek didn't really know in what way she was.

Deciding to let her sleep in a little longer- and shake off whatever it was he was feeling- Derek stripped out of his wife-beater and sweatpants and pulled on a pair of basketball shorts. He remained shirtless as he worked out in his loft, being careful not to wake Faline up. His work-out contained many sets of pull-ups, push-ups, and sit-ups. Music would usually be blasting from his iPod but because of Faline still sleeping in his bed, Derek decided to go without it.

After his work-out, he called Scott to come over to the loft after school and to bring Lydia with him with an extra set of clothes. When Scott asked why, all Derek told him was to just do with no questions asked and then hung up. It was now about one in the afternoon and Faline was still knocked asleep. Figuring that she would be hungry when she woke up, Derek decided to make her some lunch. Or at least attempt to do so.

Being a bachelor, Derek never had to worry about making anyone else breakfast, lunch, or dinner. And because there was no one to cook for him, he always ate out. In his refrigerator were empty takeout boxes and Styrofoam containers. Leftovers weren't very appetizing to serve to a guest. The top of Derek's to-do list now was to go grocery shopping for Faline's sake. Finally in one of the drawers, he saw slices of cheese and bread on the counter so he decided on making one of the only meals he ever learned how to make- grilled cheese and tomato soup. Derek took out the cheese, two slices of bread, and can of tomato soup and went to work. He was now thankful for living in a household filled with mostly women for most of his life.

By the time lunch was ready, Derek sensed Faline finally waking up. He turned around and saw her sitting on the edge of the bed and rubbing her eyes. This was the first time Derek had ever seen her hair when it was dry. It was slightly messy from tossing and turning, but her dark curls looked extremely soft and Derek fought the urge to go over to her to run his fingers through it. Faline yawned before pushing herself off the bed. As soon as she saw Derek, she smiled brightly.

"Good morning," she chirped.

Derek looked at the time on his phone. "It's actually past one in the afternoon. I let you sleep in a little late."

"Really?" He nodded. "Oh… Well, how come you didn't wake me up?"

"I didn't want to," Derek admitted, "I knew that you were exhausted from last night so I wanted you to get as much sleep as you could."

Faline smiled. "That was really kind of you. Thank you." She then sniffed the air. "Mmm. Something smells pretty good."

"I thought you would be hungry," Derek said, setting Faline's lunch on the island of his kitchen, "so I made you something to eat. I hope you like grilled cheese and tomato soup. I didn't really have a lot of options here."

"That's perfectly fine with me. I haven't had a home-cooked meal in years." She sat down on the stool and immediately slurped some soup. The warm liquid traveled down Faline's throat and she hummed happily.

Derek brought his own lunch to the island and sat across from the she-wolf. "So when you were living as a wolf, what did you eat?"

"Well, I refused to harm a defenseless creature," Faline told him, "so there were times that I had to sneak into food markets or restaurants."

"You're kidding," the alpha said, eyes widening slightly in shock. Faline shook her head. "Were you ever caught?"

She nodded. "Oh, yeah. Plenty of times. There were some days where I was too afraid to try to sneak in so I skipped meals."

"Wow."

Derek was genuinely blown away by the fact. He could just imagine the workers chasing her out of the building with knives and even guns. It wasn't a pleasant image.

"I know," Faline agreed, "I'm actually surprised that I'm still alive. But being fast really helps." She bit into her sandwich and pointed to her lunch. "This is very yummy."

"Really? I don't really cook… well, at all. Sometime during the week I actually have to get some stuff from the market."

"Can I come with you?"

The alpha raised an eyebrow at Faline's excitement. No one is ever that eager to go shopping for groceries. But like a kid on Christmas morning, Faline looked at Derek with those hopeful bright brown eyes that he so easily got lost in.

"Uh… sure," he answered.

Faline cheered to herself. "Yay! It's just that I always loved grocery shopping when I was younger. My mama and I would cook together all the time. All of our meals were made from scratch."

"So you like to cook?"

"Oh, I love it!" Faline told him, "I remember that my mama made the best tamales and Spanish rice ever. Whenever all of the women in my family would get together and make them, I would always help them out in the kitchen because I wanted to feel like a big girl." She chuckled lightly as she reminisced on the memory. "It was great."

The look on the girl's face warmed Derek's heart. "Maybe one of these nights you should make some for us." He went back to eating until he noticed that Faline wasn't moving. He looked back up and saw her gazing at him in awe and shock. "What's wrong?"

"You're letting me stay?"

It took Derek aback. "Yeah, why wouldn't I?"

"I just thought…" Faline started, "I don't wanna become a burden to you."

"You won't be," the alpha said immediately, "I can't let you go back out there. You could easily die. Hell, if I wasn't there last night…" He shook his head as the thought crept into his mind. "You're staying. That's final."

Faline remained speechless as she searched her savior's face to see if he was being sincere. "How can I repay you?"

"Don't. Consider this as a gift. I don't do this for anyone, but I don't find you as a threat. And you need help. You can't spend the rest of your life running when any day could be your last. Don't worry about owing me anything. Just stay safe here."

Before Derek knew it, Faline pounced on him, wrapping her arms around his neck. It made him stumble in his stool a little, but he kept his balance. Once he processed that the she-wolf was actually hugging him, Derek awkwardly wrapped his arms around her petite waist. But when she nuzzled her nose against Derek's neck, the tension in him surprisingly lessened.

"Thank you so much," Faline mumbled into his neck. Derek grunted in acknowledgement, gently rubbing her back.

She smelled good. Really good, actually. He could still make out his soap Faline used when she showered the night before. And he also sensed pine needles, rain, and… berries. Raspberries, to be exact. The scent never had any effect on Derek before, but now that he was so close to Faline, it made him a little dizzy, but in the best way possible.

"Ahem."

They both turned their heads to see Peter standing in the doorway. When the hell did he even get here? Derek rolled his eyes and stood up. As he did, he pulled away from Faline, making his inner wolf whine in protest.

"Am I interrupting something?" Peter asked, walking in the loft.

"No," Derek said, "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Well I told you that I was dropping by again today," the older Hale told him, "Also, I've never gotten the opportunity to introduce myself to your new friend here." He walked over to Faline. "Peter Hale. Derek's uncle."

"Hello," Faline smiled, holding out her hand, "I'm Faline De Luna. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure's all mine," Peter grinned, taking her hand in his, "Faline. What a beautiful name for a beautiful girl." He kissed her hand, making her blush.

A growl crept out of Derek unexpectedly at the gesture, making the other two look his way. Faline cocked her head to the side, slightly confused. But Peter looked at his nephew with an amused smile.

"Down, boy," Peter told him, "I'm just getting acquainted with your guest here."

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Peter," Faline said. She turned to Derek. "Do you mind if I used your restroom."

Derek nodded. "Yeah, go ahead. You remember where it's at?"

"Yep. I'll be right back." She gave him one last smile before walking away.

As soon as Faline was out of view, one of Derek's hands wrapped around Peter's neck and he was then pinned against the wall. "Do not touch her again."

"I was just being friendly," Peter told him.

"No, you were being creepy. There's a difference."

"Don't get your panties in a bunch, Derek. It was just an innocent and friendly gesture that didn't hurt anyone."

"I don't care," Derek growled, "Don't forget that I've killed you once before. Lay a hand on her again, and I'll make sure that you stay dead." He let go of Peter's neck.

Peter coughed. He looked at Derek with raised eyebrows. He was about to question his behavior but then decided to just let it go for now. "So what did you find out about your little omega?"

"She's been on her own as a wolf for sixteen years," Derek told him, "Her old pack was killed off in Mexico by hunters. They were poisoned with wolfsbane so Faline and her mother left. Now her mother's dead and she's all alone. So she's staying here."

"You're taking her in?" Peter asked in shock, "How noble of you. And her last name's De Luna?"

"Yeah. Why, does it sound familiar?"

"I just remember Talia communicating with the De Luna pack a few times when you were younger. They were one of the biggest packs in Mexico. But then all of a sudden, they stopped communicating with us. I'm guessing the poisoning was the reason why."

"I guess so…" Derek trailed off, "So my mother knew them… Weren't the De Luna's the one pack that came over to the house a couple of times when I was really little?"

Peter nodded. "Yeah. The last time I saw them, one of the women- I think her name was Consuela- had a baby girl with her. I remember you were obsessed with her. All you wanted to do was play with her. You threw a fit when they had to leave."

"I think I remember that, too… Do you think it was her?" He pointed to the direction Faline walked away in.

"I'm pretty sure. She definitely does look like Consuela so it wouldn't surprise me."

Talk about a small world. And it was funny how even as a little boy, Derek felt so attached to Faline. Some things really don't change.

* * *

After school was let out, Scott McCall, Stiles Stilinski, Isaac Lahey, and Lydia Martin hopped into the blue jeep. Before they went to Derek's loft, they stopped by Lydia's house so she could grab the clothes Derek told her to bring. They were all very confused, but like the alpha instructed Scott, they didn't question it. Lydia just grabbed whatever clothes she saw first and then they were back on the road to Derek's.

"So did Derek even tell you why he wanted you to go over to his loft with Lydia?" Isaac asked from the backseat of Stiles's jeep.

"No," Scott said, "In fact, he couldn't have been anymore vague. All he said was for Lydia to pick out an extra outfit and bring it to him."

Stiles hummed to himself. "You don't think that he's going through some identity crisis, do you? You know, one that leads to cross-dressing…"

The judging look on his friends' faces made him shut and up put his focus back on the road in front of him. He remained silent for a few more moments before speaking up again.

"If Derek wanted you and Lydia, why are Isaac and I here?"

"Because you were our ride this morning since my bike broke down," Scott told his best friend.

Lydia looked up from her nail filer. "Also my car's too small to fit all of us. So Stiles had no choice but to play chauffeur."

"Yeah, lucky me…" Stiles mumbled.

It didn't take them long to finally reach the loft. Scott knocked on the door but no one answered. Not even when he called Derek's name.

"I saw his car out in the parking lot," Lydia said when Scott knocked again, "He should be here."

"He is," Isaac said, "He's just in the shower."

"Should we wait out here then?"

Instead of answering, the true alpha slid the heavy metal door open. The teenagers stepped into the loft. Scott was sensing another werewolf in the building, making his eyes glow red and his claws come out. He looked around the loft in search for the intruder. How did Derek not notice this foreign atmosphere himself?

Stiles's eyes trailed off to the kitchen and his eyes widened. He smacked Scott's shoulder and pointed to the kitchen. When Scott, Isaac, and Lydia looked in the same direction, their eyes also grew large. Faline was washing the dishes from her and Derek's lunch earlier, singing softly as she did so. The she-wolf set the last spoon on the dish rack and shut the faucet off. It was when she dried her hands she finally noticed the teenagers.

But rather than looking alarmed- like the strangers were doing- Faline grinned happily.

"Hi!" she greeted. She looked down at the clothes she was wearing. "Excuse me for my appearance. I just woke up a couple hours ago and I didn't know Derek was expecting company."

"Uh…" Scott trailed off, retracting his claws and his eyes flashing back to brown, "It's okay, I guess…"

"You guys can come on in and wait for Derek," Faline told them, "He should be out of the shower soon."

Scott thanked her awkwardly before leading the others to the couch. The four of them looked at each other in confusion as they sat down. Faline sat down on the coffee table in front of the couch Indian style. She clasped her hands together and rested them on her lap. It was silent between them for a bit. The teens were actually starting to feel uncomfortable under Faline's gaze.

"So," she finally said, "are you Derek's friends?"

"Well… kinda," Scott said hesitantly.

"We're more like his punching bags," Stiles snorted. Lydia smacked his arm and he winced in pain.

"And… you two boys are werewolves also?" Faline asked, pointing to Scott and Isaac.

Said boys looked at each other worriedly. "How do you…" Isaac said. He shook his head. "Wait, who are you?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," she apologized, "I'm Faline. It's so nice to meet you all!"

She then reached over and hugged Scott tightly, making him tense up. Then she moved on to Stiles and he had the same reaction as his best friend.

"Oh, okay," he stammered, "You're a hugger…"

After Stiles, she then hugged Isaac. He awkwardly patted her back since he wasn't exactly sure how to respond to the gesture. When Faline got to Lydia, she looked her over with admiration.

"You are so beautiful," the she-wolf gushed, "I bet all the boys chase after you just begging to be yours." Then she hugged the strawberry-blonde. Lydia looked at the boys and mouthed 'what the fuck'. They just shrugged their shoulders and she rolled her eyes.

Derek then emerged into the room, fully clothed and black hair damp. He noticed Faline hugging Lydia and he raised an eyebrow. "When did you guys get here?"

Faline pulled away from the teenagers and smiled at her companion. "You're friends are so adorable! I could just squeeze them to death!" She pinched Stiles and Isaac's cheeks affectionately. When she let go, they rubbed their sore cheeks.

Isaac laughed nervously. "Please don't."

"Uh huh…" Derek turned to Lydia. "Did you bring those clothes?"

Nodding her head, Lydia handed the alpha a bag she had stuffed the clothes in. He then gestured Faline to follow him to the bathroom. When they were in the room, Derek closed the lid on the toilet and set down the bag. Curiosity got to the best of Faline and she peered inside.

"What are these for?" she asked.

"You," Derek told her, "Since you can't wear only my shirts and boxers all the time, I had Lydia bring you some clothes for you to wear. So until we buy more clothes for you later, you'll be wearing these."

The first thing she pulled out of the bag was an oversized coral sweater that was soft to the touch. She rubbed the material with her thumb and smiled up at Derek. "These are lovely. Thank you."

Hearing the words 'thank you' was like hearing a foreign language for Derek. In fact, he's heard those words more times in less than twenty-four hours than he has in the past year. He was used to being looked at as someone who was a failed leader, but in this beautiful stranger's eyes, he was a hero. It made him feel like he was finally doing something right.

"I'm gonna let you change," Derek said, "I'll be out there with everyone else." Faline nodded her head before Derek closed the door and walked back out to the living room.

"Alright," Stiles spoke up, leaning forward on the couch. He pointed to the bathroom. "Who is that and where can I get one?"

Smacking him once again, Lydia scowled at Stiles. "Must I remind you that you have a girlfriend now?"

"Correction, Malia and I are not together. We just have a really close friendship."

"_That's_ what you're calling it?" Isaac scoffed. He rolled his eyes and rested his chin on his hand. "God, you're such an idiot."

"Okay, you know what, Scarf Boy?" Stiles jabbed, "Last time I checked, the closest thing you have to a relationship right now is with that chick in English that you argue with on a daily basis. So if I were you, I would just-"

"All of you, shut up," Derek growled, making everyone be quest and give their focus. "Her name is Faline De Luna. She's an omega that I found out in the woods last night. Hunters had shot her with wolfsbane so I brought her here to heal her."

"Like when Kate shot you last year and I had to bring you that bullet," Scott remembered.

"That's right," Derek said.

"So why is she still here?" Lydia asked curiously.

With a sigh, the alpha sat on the coffee table and rested his elbows on his knees. He took a deep breath before retelling Faline's story to the teenagers. By the time he had finished, everyone had looks of amazement and pity written all over their faces.

"Now she's staying here with me," he finished, "I can keep her safe if I don't let her out of my sight."

Stiles snorted in amusement. "Who are you, Edward Cullen?"

"Who?"

"You know, Edward Cullen from Twilight?" Derek continued to stare at Stiles with a blank expression. "You've never heard of Twilight? Dude, you need to catch up on your pop culture."

"Hold on," Scott said, "Why exactly are _we_ here?"

"Well, besides the fact that Faline needs clothes," Derek said, "I need you to help look after her. If there is ever a time when I can't be with her, I need at least one of you to make sure she's protected."

"So in other words, you want us to play bodyguards?" Isaac asked with an eyebrow raised.

"If you want to look at it in that way, yes." Lydia tilted her head to the side in confusion as she looked at Derek. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"What is it about this girl that makes you care so much about her?" she asked, "I've never seen you so protective over anyone specific before."

Running a hand through his hair, Derek shook his head. "I don't know. Last night when I found her, we were instantly drawn to each other. We have some sort of bond that connects us. I think I might have an idea why, so I need to look more into that. And the way she looks at me… it's like she has me on this very high pedestal. Like I'm some hero to her. I can't do anything to mess that up. Because if she dies… I don't think I could live with myself ever again."

Before anyone else could speak up, Faline walked back into the room wearing the sweater and a pair of denim shorts. She sat down closely next to Derek and smiled at the teenagers before her. Derek noticed that she found her dream catcher necklace on the bathroom sink and had placed it back around her neck.

"How do the clothes fit?" Lydia asked the she-wolf, "I literally grabbed the first things I saw."

"They're perfect," Faline said, "And this sweater is so comfy."

"It's yours if you want it."

"Really?" Faline beamed, "That is so nice of you. Thank you!" She hugged Faline again, which was something that the rest of them have figured was common for the girl to do.

As Lydia patted the other girl's back, she looked at Derek. "I like her."

Derek shook his head and grabbed his wallet from the table. "There's one more thing I need you guys to do." He pulled out his credit card and gave it to Scott.

Stiles immediately snatched it out of his best friend's hands. "Oh! Someone's being a little generous today. I'd say a trip to the video game store is in our future, Scott." That was when Derek plucked the credit card away from the boy and handed it to Lydia.

"Take Faline to the mall. Buy her new clothes and a cell phone. And make sure that none of these dumbasses get ahold of this. Got it?"

"Got it," Lydia echoed, giving him a thumbs-up. She stood up from the couch, the boys following after her. She grabbed Faline's hand and pulled her up. "Come on. I'm taking you shopping."

The she-wolf allowed Lydia to pull her along to the door, but not before turning back to Derek. "Are you not coming with us?" she asked with a hint of disappointment in her voice.

"I have to pay a visit to a friend of mine," Derek told her. When he saw the sadness in her face, he quickly added, "But I will be here when you come back. I promise."

That frown was immediately placed with a beautiful smile. She rushed over to Derek and kissed his cheek before following Lydia out of the loft. But the boys stared at Derek in bewilderment. Isaac's jaw dropped.

"Oh my god, did you two have sex?"

"Get out."

* * *

At the local animal clinic, Dr. Alan Deaton was tending to a golden retriever puppy's broken leg. He was taking an x-ray when he heard someone knock on the door. Shaking his head, Deaton let out a sigh.

"I really should invest in a more obvious 'closed' sign," he said to himself. He then walked to the front door and saw Derek standing there with his hands in his pockets. "How can I help you?"

"What do you know about mating?" Derek asked, "Werewolf mating, to be exact."

Deaton stared at the young man for a few moments before finally stepping aside to let him in. the he led him back to the operating room so he could continue to work on the injured dog.

"Had your mother ever talked to you about mating before?" Deaton asked.

"She only mentioned it once or twice around me," Derek said, scratching behind the dog's ear, "When Laura asked what it's like to meet your mate, my mother always said that it was like finding your other half. That your life suddenly feels complete."

"And it's true. A mate for a werewolf is the love of their life. It can be anybody in the world, from supernatural to human. They would have an unbreakable bond. Once a werewolf has found their mate, they will feel this urge to keep them by their side at all times and do anything they can to make sure that they are safe from any sort of danger."

That explained the small ache in Derek's heart that made itself present as soon as Faline left with the teenagers. He rubbed the spot on his chest where his heart lied underneath as he thought about it. Deaton noticed the alpha's peculiar behavior.

"Why the sudden interest?" the veterinarian asked as he started to wrap the dog's leg in gauze, "Mind if I asked what happened?"

Nodding, Derek rubbed the back of his neck. After taking a deep breath, he finally admitted out loud, "I think I found my mate last night."

Derek's unexpected confession made Deaton stop what he was doing and look up at him. The way the veterinarian looked at him made it seem like that Derek had just risen from the dead.

"You found Faline De Luna?"

Out of all of the things Deaton couldn't said, Derek was not expecting those words to come out of his mouth. "How do you know about Faline?"

"Her mother Consuela was the daughter of Ferdinand De Luna, the former alpha of one of the biggest packs in Mexico. Your mother had formed an alliance with the De Luna's when they were being threatened by a hunter named Alejandro Valera and his clan."

"Peter did tell me that the De Luna's were good friends with our family," Derek said, "He also told me when Consuela visited wither baby, I grew attached to her."

"Because that baby was Faline," Deaton clarified, "Your mother and Consuela thought it was just because she was a new face that you wanted to be around her all the time. It wasn't until after she left and Talia said that you didn't want to leave your room is when we determined that she was your mate."

"She knew the whole time?" Derek slumped into the nearest chair as he tried to process the new information. "Why did she never tell me?"

"We thought Faline had died along with the rest of the pack from the poisoning in Mexico. Talia was worried that if you found out your mate had died, you would spend the rest of your life alone. So she thought it would be best not to say anything."

It made much more sense now. In the back of Derek's mind, he always knew that whenever he was with Kate, Jennifer, and even Paige, there was never that spark. Although he did care deeply for them, none of the m made him ever feel whole. There was always something missing. Not like how when Faline smiled at him or touched him in any way. Derek ran his hand through his hair for what seemed to be the hundredth time that day as he leaned back in his chair.

"I can't believe this…"

"How did you find her?" Deaton asked.

"I heard her howl," Derek answered, "I found her in the woods hiding behind a tree. It took her a while for her to come to me but when she did… it was like she was the happiest person in the world. She wouldn't stop nuzzling me." He chuckled to himself at the memory.

"She was alone?"

"Yeah. She told me that she had lost her mother when she was five and had been by herself since then. She's been living in her wolf form for most of her life. So I told her that she can stay with me for as long as she wants." He looked up at Deaton. "Do you think she knows? You know… about us?"

Deaton shook his head. "Most likely not. Consuela wouldn't tell her about mates at such a young age. But if Faline is as affectionate towards you as you say she is, she might know that there is some sort of connection between you two."

"Should I tell her?"

"Now's probably not the right time," the veterinarian said, "She's been isolated from civilization for quite some time. The only thing Faline needs to worry about right now is learning the daily routine of being human. Telling her that the man she's living with is the one she's supposed to be with for the rest of her life will only overwhelm her."

While he did understand where Deaton was coming from, he was a little bummed. It could take months for Faline to finally settle into the human life, let alone figure out that she was Derek's mate. Usually he wasn't so quick to be in a romantic relationship with anyone. Especially since the man had really bad trust issues since he had let Kate into his heart, only for her to tip it out and stomp it to the ground with her stiletto boots by burning his family alive. Jennifer wasn't any different. She had tricked Derek. She tricked everyone as playing the damsel in distress when she was the villain behind the pretty and innocent mask the whole time. Why would he want to trust anyone after that?

But Faline was a whole other story. Even after facing the hardships of being an omega for the majority of her life, she was so accepting. Granted, she didn't even know anything about Derek. However she trusted this stranger to take care of her with no hesitation. While Derek knew that it was way too soon to feel so strongly about Faline, he could definitely see himself with her for the long run. It might have been because of the fact that he had developed the knowledge that the omega was literally made for the alpha, but he was willing to do anything he could to get Faline to feel the same way for him.

Deaton noticed the solemn way Derek looked down at his hands and sighed. He placed his hand on his shoulder, making the alpha look up at him.

"Look," he said, "All Faline knows is what it's like to live as an animal with hunters chasing her. She needs to learn how to be comfortable with those who are mostly human. From what you have told me, she seems to trust you already. You don't want to rush things with her and scare her. But you both seem to be on the right path of becoming closer. Treat her as if she's a normal young woman and slowly develop your relationship with her. Make her feel at home. Spend some quality time with her and even the rest of the pack. Then when you feel that she has finally gotten the hang of humanity, take her out on dates with just the two of you. Take your time with her and give her a normal life."

Normal was not in Derek's vocabulary. The man was pretty much the poster child of all things not normal. He didn't involve himself in anything social, especially dates. Just thinking about the word made him cringe. Derek was nowhere near romantic. But Faline was making him have a second opinion on everything he ever stood against.

Maybe there was a slight possibility that he could change. It could take a lot of time, but he would try. He would try for Faline.

* * *

**I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! PLEASE review and let me know what you think and if you have any questions, send them in! Reviews are my motivation to keep going and I love hearing what you have to say. And if you have any suggestions on what you want to see in this story, feel free to tell me and I'll see what I can come up with.**

**Also if you haven't, PLEASE check out my other two stories Awake and Alive and Scars! I haven't been getting a lot of reviews on my stories lately and I'm not gonna lie, it's kinda discouraging because I'm really passionate about them. So please send my stories some love and leave some feedback! And thank you to those people who are leaving me reviews and are following and favorite-ing my stories. You guys are awesome!**

**I'll be sure to update soon! xoxo, Maddie** **:)**


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